Checkmate
by VickyStarfish
Summary: Ron realises a few home truths.  Ron/Hermione and  implied  Harry/Ginny
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note –**_ Hiya! I've re-posted this story, mostly cos I re-read it the other day and another part of the 'scene' popped into my head, and partly cos I've had an idea to extend it beyond the one-shot it was originally supposed to be. I don't think it's going to be a long one though. In fact, I think it'll only be one or two more chapters! I've not changed anything in this chapter, just added a bit of Harry/Ginny at the end cos they're my favourite. Enjoy! ~ VS_

Chapter 1

Oct 1999

Ron smiled inwardly to himself. He liked evenings like this one. Hermione had come over to the flat he shared with Harry for dinner and was now sat curled upon the couch reading a heavy tome from Harry's vast collection. Harry sat on the floor next to her, giving the illusion that he was playing chess with Ron, sat opposite him, the chess board placed between them on the coffee table. Quiet nights like this were hard to find. Harry helping the Aurors, Hermione working at the Ministry and himself working with George left neither one of them much time to relax.

As Harry pondered his next move, the front door behind the sofa opened softly. Confused by the unexpected guest, Ron looked up from the chess board to watch as his little sister pulled off her rain and sleet drenched cloak, placing it on a hook by the door, kicked off her shoes and confidently walked down the hall towards the two bedrooms. Ron was even more confused when he realised that Ginny, Harry and Hermione had not acknowledged that anyone else occupied the room.

"Ron mate, your move."

Called back to reality and still rather dazed, Ron carried on the match to the distant sounds of his sister showering. An annoyingly mocking voice in his head teased him, 'maybe Harry was finally going to win'. A more grown up voice told the childish one it was probably right.

Ron was, needless to say, distracted by the sounds emanating from the bathroom as they played, but twenty minutes later, when the shower was shut off, he became even more distracted when Ginny didn't reappear.

It was another forty minutes before the chess match finished. Harry stood, victorious, leaving a dazed and puzzled Ron to rehash his losing moves. Saying goodnight, he retired to his bedroom, the door clicking into place loudly in the silent flat. Unable to hold in his question any longer, Ron cleared his throat.

"'Mione?"

"Hmmm?" though Ron was looking at her, she didn't lift her gaze from the book; rather she kept on reading.

"Did you see Ginny?"

"Yes." The tone in her voice would have been abrupt, even rude, had they been anywhere else. Ron considered the implications of this information.

"'Mione, does she -"

"Two, maybe three nights a week." Again, her eyes never left her page. Not completely at peace with what his girlfriend was telling him, Ron carried on as Hermione turned her page and carried on reading as if he wasn't there.

"So they're…"

"No." this time frustrated by the interrupting and shortness of her answers, Ron retaliated.

"How could you _possibly_ know that?" He's stood, to emphasise his point, his voice radiating his fury despite the hushed tones of their conversation. Hermione, in response, calmly replaced her bookmark and closed the book gently. Balancing it on the end table beside the sofa, she shifted slightly but her only retort was a reproachful glare - probably more for disturbing her reading than snapping at her as he had.

"Keep your voice down! Besides, Ginny told me." Ron, calmed somewhat by her stare looked sheepish but wasn't fully convinced.

"And you're sure?" Hermione, seeing Ron's carefully hidden insecurity, stood and began to tidy up, packing away the chess set she hadn't used.

"Yes. Absolutely. Ginny would have told me if they were. You can go back there and check on them if you like, but I promise you, they won't appreciate it." Seriously considering the option she'd given him, it took a while for the rest of what she'd said to sink in properly.

"Wait, you two talk about that sort of, you know, stuff?"

"Yes. Why? Does it bother you?" Hermione, for once, seemed uncertain where the conversation was heading. It did, however, irritate her enormously that Ron ignored the question.

"So you and she talk… about everything? You know, she tells you about her and Harry and you," he paused for unintentional dramatic effect as he swallowed heavily, "tell her about us?"

"Yes." The emphatic answer stunned him into silence as he stared into space. Giving up, Hermione drew her wand. The room righted itself around Ron, the fire went out and the lights turned themselves off. Walking up to Ron, she kissed his cheek gently, drawing him out of his near catatonic state. Simply smiling at him, she took his hand and led him back to their room. He followed, his mind suddenly not occupied by his sister and best friend in the next room.

~#~

Ginny stirred as Harry got into bed, but didn't fully wake. She seemed to hum at him as he wrapped an arm over and around her, which Harry took to be a 'How was your day?" He hummed back, smiling to himself as she half smiled too, each understanding the other.

Snuggling up, and kissing her cheek, Harry felt himself drifting to sleep as Ron and Hermione started to argue. Their hushed tones were not lost in the small flat, more likely magnified by the narrow corridor to the bedrooms. It seemed to Harry, if only for a moment, that Ron was going to take Hermione up on the offer to interrupt them. Harry wasn't worried if he did decide to barge in; Ginny fast asleep, her hair plaited and twisted underneath her where her head met the pillow and Harry, one arm lazily resting over her waist they were the picture of the innocent sleeping arrangements Hermione was defending in the next room.

The flat went Silent as Ron and Hermione spelled their door and went to bed. Harry, and Ginny, knew their sleeping arrangements weren't innocent and Harry's last thought as sleep overwhelmed him was that he didn't want to have an innocent sleeping arrangement. Not with Ginny. Not when her hair smelt so intoxicating, not when she felt like she fitted perfectly next him and certainly not when he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ron was losing for the second time in as many days. Playing Hermione's dad was distracting enough without the rest of what was going on in his head disrupting his thought patterns too.

Today's lunch had been quite pleasant. Hermione and her mother had produced some wonderful potato and leek soup with ham and mustard sandwiches; simple fair as Ron and Hermione were eating out that night. Mr. Granger had had to carry the conversation while Ron fretted, but neither of the ladies had said anything if they'd noticed Ron's distant disposition.

As he moved his bishop to check Ron's king, Mr Granger looked at the young man in front of him. Ron seemed to be looking straight at the chess pieces between them, but not really seeing them at the same time. It was a look that Mr Granger recognised from a very long time ago.

"Ron, are you ok? You don't seem yourself today." Ron looked up from his reverie, surprised by the sudden interruption to an otherwise silent chess match.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine thanks." Ron came to himself moving his rook to take the bishop, thereby removing the danger to his king. Mr. Granger smiled knowingly, much to Ron's annoyance, and they carried on playing, but Mr Granger watched Ron rather carefully from that moment on.

Ron struggled to digest his king's fate when he inevitably lost but Mr. Granger sat back in his chair thoughtfully before once again breaking the silence.

"She'll kill you if she finds out you asked me." The amusement in his voice was unmistakable, but so was the serious undertone with which he spoke. Ron swallowed heavily.

"P-Pardon me?" Ron looked confused and bewildered; he was a little freaked out, it was as if Mr Granger had read his mind.

"Hermione. She'll kill you if she ever finds out that you asked for her hand in marriage. She always was a strong willed girl." Mr Granger lowered his voice. Hermione and her mother were now washing up, the Muggle way by the sounds of it, and chatting away energetically as they cleaned the kitchen, but Mr Granger didn't want this conversation being overheard. Ron could only swallow heavily again, nerves filling him up even quicker than they had been before.

"Yeah, she will won't she." Ron's voice was very quiet and he looked panicked as realisation hit him. _Why hadn't he thought of that?_ Mr. Granger had to admit he found it rather amusing, not that he would be admitting it to Ron any time soon. Ron looked at Mr. Granger again, finding his voice again, but keeping it low. "So what shall I do? I mean –"

"Well, you have my blessing, _without asking_. You know how I feel about you both being so young, but Hermione obviously loves you very much, she's always been strong and independent, always knew what she wanted, even from a young age. You'd know that."

"Yes sir. Thank you, Mr. Granger."

"Ron, if you're going to be marrying my only daughter, I think you'd better call me Hugo, don't you?" He smiled thoughtfully, watching Ron's face twist with what was most likely emotion. "Wait here, I'll be right back." Hugo stood and left the living room, where they'd spent much of the last hour. Ron heard him go into the kitchen and ask to borrow Mrs. Granger and then it went quiet as they both seemed to go upstairs. Shortly afterwards, Hermione entered, drying her hands dry on a towel.

"What was all that about?" Hermione seemed worried and confused, but Ron was as clueless as she was.

"No idea. He just… left." Combined with the blank look, that was honest, it seemed to satisfy her curiosity that Ron didn't know either, which was the truth.

Mr and Mrs Granger came back to the living room, and Mrs. Granger hustled her daughter back 'to the washing up' leaving Hugo, who delved into his pockets as soon as they had gone. He dug out a small navy blue velvet jewellery box and held it out to Ron before explaining.

"This belonged to Jean's mother, Hermione's grandmother. We didn't tell Hermione, but Rose always wanted Hermione to have it and I think it'll be a really nice surprise of you gave it to her, you know, when you propose."

Ron could only swallow his nerves, yet again, before taking the box. Opening it to reveal a silver and diamond solitaire, Ron was virtually speechless.

"Thank you. Thank you very much."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hermione was, perhaps for the first time in her life, completely and utterly speechless. She reached across the table to where Ron had placed an open jewellery case containing a diamond solitaire. She grasped her fingers around it, slowly and lifted it closer to her, brushing her fingers over its surface and admiring it whole-heartedly.

"Oh Ron" was all she was able to mutter as she watched the precious stone catch in the subtle lighting of the quiet and sparsely occupied restaurant.

"It's gorgeous Ron. My grandmother…" Ron waited on tenterhooks as she sought the words to finish her sentence, not catching up quickly enough to see where she was going nor watching closely enough to see her examine the ring in minute detail; quite a feat given the current 'mood lighting'.

Hermione somehow found her voice, and a reproachful glare, which Ron did see, just in time for what was next.

"My grandmother had a ring just like this… This is my Grandma Rose's ring isn't it? How did you get my Grandma Rose's ring?"

Ron could only sputter and mumble as Hermione continued, not seeming to care that her voice was growing in volume and starting to draw attention of the few other diners and the waiting staff.

"This is my grandmother's ring Ronald. How did you get this? Is this what mum and dad were up to this afternoon?" Her mind was whirring faster than she had ever imagined and she suddenly turned on Ron accusingly, "You asked my father's permission didn't you?" Her voice reaching its crescendo, she stopped as suddenly as she had started. The other guests and staff were now staring as Ron found his own voice.

"No. Not technically speaking. No." His attempts at hushed tones turned into hesitations as he spoke; his voice lost underneath hers as she processed what he had confessed.

"Not technically speaking? And what on earth is THAT supposed to mean?"

"I… He…" Ron sighed and spoke softly to start, honesty being the best policy "Your dad guessed I was going to ask. He told me what I already knew – that it was a stupid idea; but then he disappears and comes back with your mum in tow who whisks you off back to the kitchen and…" He stopped abruptly, suddenly aware of the huge detour their conversation had taken. He was vaguely aware that he too was now standing, voice much louder than the hushed tones he'd started in, but it was too late to do anything about it as his mouth carried on, now sounding quite as irate as Hermione.

"Are you going to marry me or what?" Both slightly taken aback at the shouting match his proposal had become; Hermione stuttered, but didn't hesitate.

Their acquired audience watched intently for her reaction and applauded as she whispered her reply and flung herself, quite out of character, into his arms for a hug and romantic kiss, all words forgotten.


End file.
